The invention is generally directed to a finger end protection construction and in particular to a finger end construction for snowboard gloves.
As the sport of skiing developed, ski glove technology developed along with it to produce improved gloves and mittens for the specialized use in connection with the skiing. The gloves developed layers of insulation, waterproof treatable membranes, heater packs to heat the insides of the gloves as well as closure mechanisms for opening and sealing the gauntlet or open end of the glove on the wearer's hand. In addition, as glove technology developed it became readily apparent that a comfortable ski glove should be pre-curved so that the glove would conform to a person's, at rest, partially curled hand posture. In connection with the pre-curvature of gloves certain constructions were indicated and others found wanting. In particular, the gunn cut construction, which puts seams at the backs of the fingers, which is often used in work gloves, is not practical in making a pre-curved glove period. The better methods are to use a sidewall construction which allows the best control of the preshaping. However, there are more exposed seams than in the gunn cut construction.
As skiing developed, the sport of snowboarding, which is a cross between skiing and surf boarding has blossomed and become more popular. When snowboarding, one maintains one's balance in turn by bending one's knees and resting one or more of the fingertips on the snow to provide balance and aid in improving the turning radius. This style of snowboarding is, obviously, tougher on the surfaces of the gloves being utilized than traditional skiing. In traditional skiing the skier wears gloves primarily to keep the hands warm and to grip a ski pole in each hand. The gloves need to have sufficient flexibility to grip the ski pole and provide limited manual dexterity for other activities. Thus, the surface characteristics of the ski gloves are not as rigorous as for snowboarding.
In snowboarding there have been several approaches used to toughen the surfaces and the seams of the gloves designed for this sport. One approach has been to make the finger tip regions out of stronger materials such as Kevlar.RTM. or heavy leathers. However, this still leaves the seams exposed to wear and tends to unduly restrict the flexibility of the gloves. Welting has been also added to reinforce the seams, but this again is only partially successful and limits the flexibility of the gloves. Other approaches have been to apply rubber tips to the finger ends. These are uncomfortable and thus not useful.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved construction which reinforces the finger tips and seams of a snowboarding glove so that the glove wears adequately without restricting the flexibility of the glove.